Nature fans and amateur geologists naturally focus on the craters from two asteroid impacts that completely changed the landscape here around 15 million years ago - the Nördlinger Ries with a diameter of 25 km and the Steinheim Basin with a diameter of 4 km.
If you want to grasp the full dimensions of this former cosmic catastrophe, you can cycle around 185 kilometres along the new Geopark Ries cycle path "From crater to crater". However, the dense network of cycle paths also allows a number of smaller-scale star and stage tours.
Character:
In addition to the network of regional cycle paths, well-known long-distance cycle routes such as the "Romantic Road", the German Danube Cycle Route and the "Via Claudia Augusta" also cross the Donau-Ries. The cycle paths can be combined to form various attractive circular tours, including many easy routes for families and leisure cyclists.
Tour tip: Ries cycle path, 53 km, easy.
Route: Nördlingen - Wemding - Monheim - Mörnsheim (Altmühltal)
Best time to travel: May to October.
Journey:
The Donau-Ries is easy to reach by train. You can take your bike on the train on DB lines 910 Nuremberg-Treuchtlingen-Donauwörth-Augsburg, line 993 Ulm-Günzburg, Dillingen-Donauwörth-Neuburg- Ingolstadt and line 885 Aalen-Nördlingen, Möttingen, Jarburg-Doinauwörth Cycling hotline of the railway on 01805/99 66 33 (14 ct/min. from landlines, max. rate for mobile phones 42 ct/min.).
Bike service:
Bike hire and workshops can be found in the larger towns, such as Nördlingen, Donauwörth, Oettingen, Monheim and Oberndorf. Addresses on the cycle route map (see below)
Cycling hotels:
Bicycle-friendly accommodation is offered by Kaiserhof Hotel Sonne in Nördlingen, among others http://www.kaiserhof-hotel-sonne.de
Marlene cycling hostel and farm in Alerheim-Rudelstetten http://www.alerheim.de
Further addresses at http://www.bettundbike.de
Maps/literature:
Small overview map "Ferienland Donau-Ries" cycling map 1:160,000 free of charge from the tourist office. Context Verlag "Radwandern in Bayerisch- Schwaben - Ein Führer zu 25 ausgewählten Radwandertouren", 70 pages, available from the tourist office.
Information (general):
Ferienland Donau-Ries e.V., Pflegstr. 2, 86609 Donauwörth, Tel. 0906/74-211, Fax 0906/74-212.
Tourismusverband Allgäu/Bayerisch-Schwaben, Schießgrabenstr. 14, 86150 Augsburg, Tel. 0821/450401-0, Fax 0821/450401-20, http://www.bayerisch-schwaben.de
Internet:
http://www.ferienland.donau-ries.de (General information about the region and many cycle tour tips)
